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Oggi le aziende riconoscono come i comportamenti d’acquisto del cliente siano influenzati dall’atmosfera del mondo retail. Le caratteristiche del punto vendita e le sue potenzialità multisensoriali rappresentano una componente fondamentale capace di influenzare il processo di scelta del consumatore da un punto di vista cognitivo ma soprattutto emotivo. Il presente lavoro di tesi propone un’indagine interdisciplinare con l’intenzione di analizzare la figura del consumatore in diversi contesti d’acquisto. Il macro-obiettivo è verificare l’impatto percettivo, cognitivo ed emotivo per comprendere come lo spazio influenzi i processi decisionali di acquisto e come gli elementi contestuali e architettonici ne favoriscano la fruizione. Gli store non sono più considerati semplici luoghi dove acquistare un prodotto ma ambienti in grado di regalare un’esperienza emozionante. L’uso di differenti strumenti d’indagine ha permesso di analizzare le risposte implicite (con l’utilizzo di strumenti neuroscientifici) ed esplicite (grazie all’uso di strumenti tradizionali di psicologia quali questionari e interviste) per avere una visione globale della percezione e delle emozioni del consumatore all’interno di un contesto d’acquisto. Diversamente delle altre ricerche di Consumer Neuroscience fino ad ora esistenti, il lavoro proposto si discosta dalle dinamiche puramente di laboratorio per studiare il cliente all’interno del punto vendita preservando così un ambiente ecologico., Nowadays the companies are aware that the consumer’s buying behavior is influenced by the atmosphere of the retail world. The features of point of sale and its multi-sensory potential are important components which influence cognitively and emotively the consumer choice process. The present thesis aims to present an interdisciplinary research with the intention to analyze the consumer in different sales contexts. The macro-objective is to verify the perceptive, cognitive and emotional impact to understand how the space influences decision-making process and how the contextual and architectural elements encourage its fruition. Stores are no longer considered as simple places to buy a product but environments able to give an emotional experience. The use of different tools allowed us to analyze implicit responses (with neuroscientific tools) and explicit responses (thanks to the use of traditional tools of psychology such as questionnaires and interviews) to have a global view of consumer perception and emotion within the sales context. Unlike other consumer neuroscience research, this work was done outside of laboratory to study the consumer in point of sale and preserving an ecological environment.

The current research aimed at investigating the brain lateralization effect in response to TV advertising of different commercial sectors. This study explored the effects of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) stimulation on subjective evaluation (semantic differential), in response to some consumer goods. We adopted rTMS (low-frequency 1Hz on left and right DLPFC) to modulate the consumers' (N= thirty-three) response during the vision of five commercials. After three hours from the first evaluation of TV commercials without stimulation, rTMS was delivered in brain frontal areas (F3 and F4 areas) before the vision of each stimulus. Following the stimulation, subjects evaluated advertising a second time by using the same semantic differential. An increase of TV commercials preference occurred in subjects who were inhibited on right DLPFC; while a decrease of advertising preference was shown in subjects who were inhibited on left DLPFC. These results reveal the important role of DLPFC for emotions' elaboration. In particular, the left and right DLPFC seem to be related respectively to positive and negative evaluation of emotional stimuli.

The current research aimed at investigating the brain lateralization effect in response to TV advertising of different commercial sectors. This study explored the effects of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) stimulation on subjective evaluation (semantic differential), in response to some consumer goods. We adopted rTMS (low-frequency 1Hz on left and right DLPFC) to modulate the consumers’ (N= thirty-three) response during the vision of five commercials. After three hours from the first evaluation of TV commercials without stimulation, rTMS was delivered in brain frontal areas (F3 and F4 areas) before the vision of each stimulus. Following the stimulation, subjects evaluated advertising a second time by using the same semantic differential. An increase of TV commercials preference occurred in subjects who were inhibited on right DLPFC; while a decrease of advertising preference was shown in subjects who were inhibited on left DLPFC. These results reveal the important role of DLPFC for emotions’ elaboration. In particular, the left and right DLPFC seem to be related respectively to positive and negative evaluation of emotional stimuli.

Artefacts appreciation, including artworks as well as handicraft and industrial products, involves the audience by an emotional point of view, guides motivational level and affects decision making. Moreover, it is well known that individual differences based on personality correlates play a key role in determining evaluation, preference and subjective responsiveness to specific features of a good. Emerging evidence suggests that these behaviors could rely on reward mechanisms, according to the approach-withdrawal motivational model of emotion, and that the left prefrontal brain activity may reflect the strength of the reward-related behavioral activation system (BAS and BAS-reward). Although it has been demonstrated that the DLPFC is a key structure in processing rewarding information, little is known about the relationship between neurophysiological and personality correlates supporting artefact appreciation and preference. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the impact of reward mechanisms and their prefrontal correlates to support cognitive and emotive processes during the presentation of different artefacts (videos). Inhibitory rTMS (1 Hz) was applied on DLPFC to 24 participants, while electrocortical activity (EEG) and behavioral self-report evaluation were recorded. Two control conditions were included in the experimental design to control the simple stimulation effect (sham condition with absence of TMS stimulation) and the localization effect (control site condition, F3/F4 stimulation). Results showed that, in comparison to sham and control condition, F3 low-frequency stimulation (inhibitory effect) induced increased prefrontal alpha activity (brain activity reduction) during the processing of emotionally involving videos, suggesting a decreased interest due to the deactivation of reward-related mechanisms. In addition, theta activity was modulated by BAS-reward component. In conclusion, this study supported the prefrontal approach-withdrawal motiv

The present paper explores the relationship between the explicit (consumer’s preference) and implicit (EEG measurement) consumers’ responses and the important role of the reward-system. In particular we analyzed the impact of reward mechanisms to support cognitive and emotive processes in evaluating consumer goods. We measured the frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta) at thirty-four subjects while they saw five commercials. Finally, the subjects evaluated the goods and explained their preferences.